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February 7, 2008
eVoice®
Feb. 7, 2008
AMA eVoice is your regular update on the most important health care issues and recent AMA activities.
The AMA is committed to communication. We encourage you to help us spread the word by forwarding AMA eVoice to your colleagues.
Your news interests
Sign up to receive customized AMA eVoice messages.
Faculty practice physician issues
1) CME and CEU credits now available for practice management
2) Submissions sought for JAMA’s medical education theme issue
3) In the Tennessean: Vanderbilt University bans gifts from drug firms
Group practice physician issues
1) AMA practice tip: Filing a complaint
International medical graduate issues
1) New AMA webcast: Keys to successful implementation of revised Standard MS.1.20
2) Apply for AMA-IMG Section Governing Council positions
Medical school news
1) Medical students’ victory in California tuition lawsuit will stand
2) AMA seeks qualified candidates for employment position
3) IHI outlines “new rules” in health care
Medical student issues
1) AMA offers health policy opportunities for medical students
2) Mark your calendar for Lobby Day, March 31
3) Save the dates for upcoming AMA-MSS regional meetings
4) Call out for AMA-MSS Annual Meeting resolutions
5) Learn more about the AMA Council on Legislation
6) Spotlight shines on two AMA-MSS chapter projects
Minority health issues and professional concerns of minority physicians
1) Does your practice have a nondiscrimination statement posted?
2) AMA-MAC Governing Council nominations due Feb. 15
Organized medical staff issues
1) View webcast on keys to successful implementation of revised Standard MS.1.20
2) Now available: “Physician’s guide to medical staff organization bylaws”
3) Printable version of “Principles for strengthening the physician-hospital relationship” available online
Resident and fellow issues
1) Advocate for resident and fellow, student issues
2) There’s still time; apply for AMA-sponsored legislative awareness internship
3) AMA-RFS seeks resident and fellow candidates for representation to AMA special groups’ governing councils
4) In USA Today: Employers put health coverage in workers’ hands
5) How to communicate with limited English proficient patients
Senior physicians issues
1) Get a one-time “Welcome to Medicare” physical exam
2) Report: Early retirees struggle with gap in health coverage
Women physician and women's health issues
1) Apply now; AMA-WPC Governing Council nominations due Feb. 15
2) Register for “Women in biomedical research: Best practices for sustaining career success” conference
Young physician issues
1) Candidates sought for AMA-YPS representative to AMA-WPC Governing Council
2) Become a part of the AMA-MAC leadership
3) CME and CEU credits now available for practice management
4) Request for nominations: AMA Advisory Committee on GLBT Issues
5) Watch your mail for physician practice information survey
General AMA news:
1) New AMA research paper shows medical liability reforms work
2) Five additional BCBS plans agree to pay out $10 million; file claim form by Feb. 27
3) Urge your U.S. senators to take action on Medicare payment
4) Nominations sought for AMA Advisory Committee on GLBT Issues
5) On Sermo: Reconnecting with memorable patients, years later
6) In JAMA: Smoking marijuana associated with increased risk for gum disease
Your news interests
Sign up to receive customized AMA eVoice messages.
Faculty practice physician issues
1) CME and CEU credits now available for practice management
The AMA will host a 90-minute Web conference, titled “Medicare’s pay-for-reporting bonus (Physician Quality Reporting Initiative)—what’s in it for you?” on Feb. 21. Medical practices that report on a designated set of quality measures can earn a bonus payment of up to 1.5 percent of total allowed charges for covered Medicare physician fee schedule services. This Web conference will detail how to report the required data, with or without an electronic medical records system.
Registration for AMA members is $125 ($200 for nonmembers), and includes continuing medical education (CME) credit of 1.5 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™or 1.5 continuing education units (CEU) toward renewal of Professional Association of Health Care Office Management Medical Manager certification.
Visit the Web site for complete details and to register. This program is geared toward doctors and practice managers in small- to medium-sized group practices and features speaker Max Reiboldt, chief executive officer and managing partner of the health care consulting firm the Coker Group.
2) Submissions sought for JAMA’s medical education theme issue
The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) is inviting authors to submit manuscripts related to all aspects of medical education for its theme issue that will be published in September. Of particular interest are studies on the educational process that incorporate the most relevant educational outcomes (effects on clinical practice and patient care) or address better techniques for their measure. Manuscripts received by March 1 will have the best chance for consideration.
View guidelines for submission.
3) In the Tennessean: Vanderbilt University bans gifts from drug firms
Beginning July 1, Vanderbilt University employees and students will no longer be able to accept lunches or gifts from pharmaceutical companies under a new conflict of interest policy. Drug companies will be banned from sponsoring or attending conferences or continuing medical education classes on campus. Per an article in the Tennessean, the goal is to reduce the marketing influence of the drug industry, which spends $25 billion a year on promotions influencing patients and doctors who write prescriptions. Vanderbilt’s policy applies to employees who work with patients and prescribe drugs, but not to researchers. Previously, medical center faculty and staff could accept gifts worth less than $25 or up to $300 a year from vendors.
>>Return to your news interest contents
Group practice physician issues
1) AMA practice tip: Filing a complaint
Physicians and practice staff: Alert the AMA of problems you may be experiencing with health plans and payers. Complete the AMA Health Plan and Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) complaint forms. These forms gather sophisticated data on the types and severity of administrative “hassles” that the physician practice experiences on a day-to-day basis in the managed care environment.
While the AMA may pursue compliance activities with health plans or payers where a pattern of administrative hassles are shown, the information provided will be used primarily to shape the AMA’s agenda. The AMA does not directly respond to these complaints, as the forms are anonymous. If an AMA member wishes, they may contact the AMA Private Sector Advocacy unit at (800) 262-3211.
>>Return to your news interest contents
International medical graduate issues
1) New AMA webcast: Keys to successful implementation of revised Standard MS.1.20
The AMA Organized Medical Staff Section (AMA-OMSS) launched a 90-minute webcast that addresses how medical staffs can successfully implement the revised Joint Commission Medical Staff Bylaws Standard MS.1.20—and provides an overview of the recently adopted revisions. Compliance with this standard by July 2009 is critical to preserving medical staff self-governance.
Objectives of the webcast include:
- To inform medical staff leaders and other physician leaders engaged in hospital practice of the content and significance of the revised Joint Commission Medical Staff Bylaws Standard MS.1.20 as it relates to protecting medical staff self-governance, and the need to update their medical staff bylaws to comply.
- To help physicians recognize the potential consequences of various approaches to reviewing and updating their bylaws and understand the pros and cons of alternate methods to bring their medical staff bylaws into compliance.
- To explain model bylaws designed to help medical staffs and hospitals meet the new medical staff bylaws standard.
AMA members can view the webcast at no charge.
2) Apply for AMA-IMG Section Governing Council positions
The AMA-IMG Section Governing Council is seeking candidates to fill one AMA-IMG resident/fellow position and two physician positions for its 2008 election. Nomination applications are due March 7, and candidates will be elected in mid-April by AMA-IMG Section members. All candidates must submit an application, curriculum vitae and high-resolution electronic photo. Endorsements and letters of support from medical associations are optional.
Those interested in the resident/fellow position must apply to the AMA Resident and Fellow Section first. Send an e-mail for instructions on how to apply for the resident/fellow position.
Download (Word, 68KB) a nomination form.
>>Return to your news interest contents
Medical school news
(Brought to you by the AMA Section on Medical Schools)
1) Medical students’ victory in California tuition lawsuit will stand
The latest development in a closely watched legal battle involving student tuition hikes is good news for medical students—and marks another victory for the AMA Litigation Center.
The California Supreme Court on Jan. 23 declined to review an appeal filed by the University of California (UC) in Kashmiri v UC Regents. In November 2007, the California Court of Appeal affirmed the trial court's holding that UC had broken implied contracts with its students by raising professional degree program fees. The case began in 2003 when students from UC’s professional schools filed a lawsuit for breach of contract based on UC’s repeatedly raising their tuition and fees, despite having promised not to do so.
The AMA Litigation Center and the California Medical Association filed an amicus curiae, or “friend of the court,” brief in the California Court of Appeal in May 2007 in support of the students, pointing out that increases in tuition worsen medical students’ already steep debt burden, exacerbate physician shortages in medically underserved areas and some medical specialties, and often disproportionately affect minority populations.
In light of the high court’s decision, UC must issue an estimated $40 million in refunds and interest to those affected, most of which will go to those enrolled in UC professional graduate degree programs before 2003.
Read more about the Kashmiri case.
As a coalition of the AMA and the state medical societies, the AMA Litigation Center provides the medical profession with legal assistance and expertise in a wide variety of proceedings. Some cases have set important legal precedents or have had broad implications for patients or doctors. Others have simply been the right thing to do. Learn more about the AMA Litigation Center.
2) AMA seeks qualified candidates for employment position
The AMA is seeking qualified candidates for the position of secretary of the AMA Council on Medical Education and assistant secretary to the Liaison Committee on Medical Education. In addition, the candidate will assist the director of undergraduate medical education on the AMA’s Initiative to Transform Medical Education and other projects. He or she will conduct independent research, both internally mandated and externally funded, on issues of importance in medical education, and will serve as a resource to the medical education community, policymakers, and the public on such issues as medical school curriculum, medical education financing and medical student debt. Minimum of a doctoral degree is required, with a doctor of medicine degree preferred.
The search is being conducted by Tuft & Associates. Send an e-mail or call (847) 869-2562 to obtain a detailed position description.
3) IHI outlines “new rules” in health care
According to the Institute for Healthcare Improvement’s (IHI) 2008 progress report, health care has been moving toward a new set of rules which give patients more continuity, control and information, and give providers better tools and efficient systems to support safer care.
View (PDF, 999KB) the report.
>>Return to your news interest contents
Medical student issues
1) AMA offers health policy opportunities for medical students
The AMA-MSS offers assistance to students seeking to increase their involvement and education in national health policy and in national legislative activities of organized medicine.
The Government Relations Internship Program (GRIP) is an opportunity for medical student members of the AMA to enhance their medical education through work in health care policy. Students must arrange their own six- to eight-week internships—between June and August—in advance. The deadline to apply for the GRIP is Feb. 15.
Learn more about the GRIP.
2) Mark your calendar for Lobby Day, March 31
The AMA’s 2008 Medical Student/Resident and Fellow Lobby Day will be held March 31, at the Madison Hotel in Washington, D.C. Lobby Day activities include educational sessions on effective advocacy and lobbying techniques, briefings on legislative issues currently before Congress, and a full afternoon on Capitol Hill meeting with legislators and their staff.
The AMA will provide—on a first-come, first-served basis—a limited number of complimentary hotel rooms for AMA members for the night of March 30; however, anyone may attend the events on March 31 at no charge.
Visit the Web site for more information and to register. The registration deadline is Feb. 15.
3) Save the dates for upcoming AMA-MSS regional meetings
AMA-MSS Regions 2, 5 and 7 have meetings coming up, and you’re invited.
The AMA-MSS Region 2 Meeting, entitled “Perspectives on genetic discrimination,” will be held Feb. 29–March 1 at the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine in Iowa City, Iowa.
The AMA-MSS Region 5 Meeting, entitled “What can purple do for you?” will be held Feb. 29–March 1 at the West Virginia University School of Medicine in Morgantown, W.Va.
The AMA-MSS Region 7 Meeting, entitled “Becoming a better physician advocate,” will be held March 1 at Stony Brook University Health Sciences Center in Long Island, N.Y.
Visit the Web site for more information on all region meetings.
4) Call out for AMA-MSS Annual Meeting resolutions
If you are interested in writing a resolution for the AMA-MSS Annual Meeting in Chicago, it must be posted to the AMA-MSS health policy and news listserv by April 11. Join the listserv.
Feedback will be provided to all who submit resolutions. Final versions of resolutions and the resolution checklist are due April 25. View the checklist, which lists all necessary tasks to submit a resolution.
Review the AMA-MSS resolution writing guide and learn everything you need to know from developing an idea and submitting a resolution, to writing and delivering testimony at the AMA-MSS Annual Meeting.
Contact any member of the AMA-MSS Governing Council or send an e-mail to Eleonora Teplinsky with questions.
5) Learn more about the AMA Council on Legislation
AMA-MSS members are appointed to serve as liaisons to AMA councils and various organizations and groups who work closely with the AMA. Jessica Nguyen-Trong, a student at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School, is the current AMA student representative to the AMA Council on Legislation (COL). COL is a 14-member group that reports directly to the AMA Board of Trustees and reviews federal legislation to ensure consistency with AMA policy. The council also makes recommendations on important health policy issues, such as scope of practice, health information technology, Medicare physician reimbursement, medical liability reform, and SCHIP, among others. The resolutions that pass with your input in the AMA-MSS Assembly, and subsequently in the AMA House of Delegates, play a role in guiding COL’s decisions.
Learn more about COL’s current activities.
6) Spotlight shines on two AMA-MSS chapter projects
On Feb. 14, medical students from State University of New York’s Downstate College of Medicine will hold a “Healthy hearts” event at a local middle school aimed at educating students on the importance of physical fitness, eating right, having a healthy heart, and the dangers of obesity and heart disease. Send an e-mail to learn more about this project.
On Feb. 18, medical students from East Carolina University’s Brody School of Medicine will volunteer at the American Cancer Society’s Hope Lodge in Greenville, N.C., which provides free, temporary housing facilities for cancer patients who are undergoing treatment. Students will cook and serve meals, as well as provide companionship to patients who are far away from home. Send an e-mail to learn more about this project.
These projects are funded by an AMA-MSS chapter involvement grant (CIG). CIGs are available to AMA-MSS chapters to help put student projects and recruitment events into action. Chapters are eligible for $1,000 per academic year, with a maximum of $500 per event.
If your chapter has a project that it would like to get started, please apply for a CIG.
>>Return to your news interest contents
Minority health issues and professional concerns of minority physicians
(brought to you by the AMA Minority Affairs Consortium)
1) Does your practice have a nondiscrimination statement posted?
The AMA has produced a sample nondiscrimination statement—inclusive of all patients—for physicians to frame and display in their offices. This sample statement was recently updated as a result of policy adopted by the AMA House of Delegates to ensure the inclusion of transgender physicians, medical students and patients in AMA policies.
Transgender individuals face complex medical, psychological and social issues, often beyond their control. As a result, they can view themselves or be perceived by others as the most marginalized sector of the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community, and are uniquely at risk for adverse health outcomes.
Download the sample statement at no charge.
2) AMA-MAC Governing Council nominations due Feb. 15
There is still time to submit your nomination for key leadership positions on the AMA-MAC Governing Council; members will be elected or appointed this spring. Two elected positions and three appointed positions are open for nomination:
- One elected delegate—This governing council member is the voice of the AMA-MAC in the AMA House of Delegates and will be elected by the AMA-MAC membership to serve a three-year term to begin in June.
- One elected at-large member—This at-large member will be elected by the AMA-MAC membership to serve a two-year term to begin in June.
- Three appointed representatives—Representatives from the National Medical Association (NMA), AMA Resident and Fellow Section (AMA-RFS), and AMA Medical Student Section (AMA-MSS) will be appointed by these respective groups.
The nomination deadline is Feb. 15. (Please note that AMA sections may have earlier deadlines.) Electronic photos and statements of interest are required. Apply for the AMA-MAC Governing Council at-large and delegate positions.
Visit the AMA-MSS or AMA-RFS Web sites respectively, to submit nominations for the AMA-MSS or AMA-RFS representative positions on the AMA-MAC Governing Council. All nominations must be submitted through the respective section’s Web site.
Contact the NMA regarding its appointed representative on the AMA-MAC Governing Council.
>>Return to your news interest contents
Organized medical staff issues
1) View webcast on keys to successful implementation of revised Standard MS.1.20
The AMA-OMSS launched a 90-minute webcast that addresses how medical staffs can successfully implement the revised Joint Commission Medical Staff Bylaws Standard MS.1.20—and provides an overview of the recently adopted revisions. Compliance with this standard by July 2009 is critical to preserving medical staff self-governance.
AMA members can view the webcast at no charge.
2) Now available: “Physician’s guide to medical staff organization bylaws”
Because medical staff bylaws are considered a contract and legally binding in most states, it is extremely important that they are well designed and well written. The fourth edition of the “Physician’s guide to medical staff organization bylaws” contains practical guidance on bylaws development, model bylaw language, information on emerging issues and recent trends in medical staff re-engineering. The guide will be especially helpful to medical staffs as they update their bylaws to align with the revised Joint Commission Standard MS.1.20.
AMA members can view (PDF, 995KB) the guide at no charge. Non-AMA members will be able to purchase the guide in the coming weeks.
3) Printable version of “Principles for strengthening the physician-hospital relationship” available online
A printable version of the “Principles for strengthening the physician-hospital relationship,” developed by the AMA-OMSS and adopted by the AMA House of Delegates, is now available online.
View (PDF, 90KB) and download this resource. These principles are designed to improve the working relationship between physicians and hospitals, and ultimately foster better patient care and increase patient safety.
Send an e-mail to order a poster of the principles to post in your medical staff lounge
>>Return to your news interest contents
Resident and fellow issues
1) Advocate for resident and fellow, student issues
Do you want to increase your awareness of legislative issues affecting medicine and gain real-life education in physician advocacy? There is still time to register for the AMA Student/Resident and Fellow Lobby Day. Activities will include educational sessions on effective advocacy and lobbying techniques, briefings on legislative issues currently before Congress, and a full afternoon on Capitol Hill meeting with legislators and their staff. Lobby Day registration is free for all medical students and residents/fellows. The AMA will provide a limited number of complimentary hotel rooms on the night of March 30—on a first-come, first-served basis—for current AMA members attending Lobby Day.
2) There’s still time; apply for AMA-sponsored legislative awareness internship
The AMA is sponsoring a two-week legislative internship program in the spring. Two residents and/or fellows will be selected to participate in the political process of organized medicine at the national level. Each resident or fellow receives a $1,000 stipend to help defray program-related expenses. Applications are due Feb. 15.
Download an application.
3) AMA-RFS seeks resident and fellow candidates for representation to AMA special groups’ governing councils
The AMA-RFS Governing Council is currently soliciting nominations for the AMA-RFS seats on the AMA Women Physicians Congress and AMA Minority Affairs Consortium Governing Councils. Interested resident and fellow physicians must submit a nomination form to the AMA-RFS by Feb. 15.
Learn more and download nomination forms.
4) In USA Today: Employers put health coverage in workers’ hands
According to a Jan. 24 USA Today article, employers are exercising various options to cope with the rising costs of health care. One option includes giving employees a monetary amount each month to encourage them to buy their own health care coverage and ending group coverage. The shift is being pushed as a lower cost way for employers to offer employees some type of health coverage while simultaneously making smaller and more predictable financial contributions toward that coverage. This new model of health coverage could dramatically change the manner in which health coverage is obtained. Currently, most people with health insurance are in group plans offered by their employers whereas this model shifts the paradigm to individual coverage instead. However, in most states, insurers can reject individual applicants for health reasons and can change varying premiums based on the applicant’s age, health history and other factors. At this time, the Department of Labor and Treasury Department are considering whether federal rules that apply to group insurance also apply in programs where employers make a contribution but do not offer a group plan.
View the USA Today article.
5) How to communicate with limited English proficient patients
With the limited English proficiency (LEP) population rising in both rural and urban areas, language gaps between physicians and patients are increasing. The second edition of the AMA’s “Office guide to communicating with limited English proficient patients” is now available, to help address the language needs of patients in a culturally, linguistically and an ethically appropriate manner.
View (PDF, 607KB) and download this publication.
>>Return to your news interest contents
Senior Physicians issues
1) Get a one-time “Welcome to Medicare” physical exam
Medicare will cover a one-time preventive physical exam—“Welcome to Medicare”—within the first six months that you have Medicare Part B coverage. This is a great way to get up to date on important screenings and shots. The exam will include a thorough review of your health, education and counseling about the preventive services you need, including certain screenings and shots, and referrals for other care. During the exam, your doctor will record your medical history and check your blood pressure, weight and height, and may also test your vision and conduct an electrocardiogram. Depending on your general health and medical history, further tests may be ordered if necessary.
Learn more about this and other preventive services covered under Medicare.
2) Report: Early retirees struggle with gap in health coverage
Close to three million baby boomers will turn 62 this year and will be eligible for social security benefits, but they won’t be eligible for Medicare for three more years. Finding a way to bridge this gap will be the hardest and costliest challenge for those who want to retire early, according to a report in USA Today. In the past, retirees could often count on their employers to provide health insurance until they were eligible for Medicare. But in 2007, only one-third of large employers offered retiree health insurance. Those without company-provided health insurance typically find individual policies prohibitively expensive, with premiums topping $900 a month for family coverage.
Learn more about retirement planning.
>>Return to your news interest contents
Women physician and women's health issues
(brought to you by the AMA Women Physicians Congress)
1) Apply now; AMA-WPC Governing Council nominations due Feb. 15
The AMA-WPC would like you to submit nominations for key leadership positions on the AMA-WPC Governing Council; members will be elected or appointed this spring. Five elected positions, including three section representative positions, are open for nomination:
- Two elected at-large members—Two governing council members will be elected by the AMA-WPC membership to serve a two-year term to begin in June.
- Three elected AMA section representatives—Representatives from the AMA Medical Student Section (AMA-MSS), AMA Resident and Fellow Section (AMA-RFS) and AMA Young Physician Section (AMA-YPS) will be elected by the AMA-WPC membership at large. Nominations should be submitted through the respective sections only.
Nominations are due Feb. 15. (Please note that AMA sections may have earlier deadlines.) Electronic photos and statements of interest are required.
Apply for the AMA-WPC Governing Council at-large positions.
Visit the AMA-MSS, AMA-RFS or AMA-YPS Web sites respectively, to submit nominations for the AMA-MSS, AMA-RFS or AMA-YPS representative positions on the AMA-WPC Governing Council. All nominations must be submitted through the respective section’s Web site.
2) Register for “Women in biomedical research: Best practices for sustaining career success” conference
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is currently accepting registration for its conference—“Women in biomedical research: Best practices for sustaining career success.” The conference will be held March 4 on the NIH campus in Bethesda, Md. This workshop will highlight organizations and practices that are successfully addressing the major barriers in the career development of women.
Learn more and register.
Visit the Web site for additional resources on promoting gender diversity among medical faculty, academic medicine and organized medicine.
>>Return to your news interest contents
Young physician issues
1) Candidates sought for AMA-YPS representative to AMA-WPC Governing Council
The AMA-YPS Governing Council is currently soliciting nominations for the section’s seat on the AMA Women Physicians Congress (AMA-WPC) Governing Council. Interested young physicians will serve a two-year term beginning in June and must submit a nomination form to the AMA-YPS by Feb. 15. The AMA-YPS Governing Council will then select two nominees to compete in the AMA-WPC’s online election this spring.
Download (PDF, 89KB) a nomination form.
Learn more about the AMA-WPC Governing Council election as well as two at-large positions which will also be elected in the spring.
2) Become a part of the AMA-MAC leadership
The AMA is seeking nominations for key leadership positions—including an at-large seat—on the AMA Minority Affairs Consortium (AMA-MAC) Governing Council, with terms beginning in June.
Visit the Web site if you are interested in becoming a part of the AMA-MAC leadership and would like to learn more. Nominations are due Feb. 15.
3) CME and CEU credits now available for practice management
The AMA will host a 90-minute Web conference, titled “Medicare’s pay-for-reporting bonus (Physician Quality Reporting Initiative)—what’s in it for you?” on Feb. 21. Medical practices that report on a designated set of quality measures can earn a bonus payment of up to 1.5 percent of total allowed charges for covered Medicare physician fee schedule services. This Web conference will detail how to report the required data, with or without an electronic medical records system.
The Web conference includes continuing medical education (CME) credit of 1.5 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits&trade or 1.5 continuing education units (CEU) toward renewal of Professional Association of Health Care Office Management Medical Manager certification.
Learn more and register.
4) Request for nominations: AMA Advisory Committee on GLBT Issues
The AMA is soliciting nominations for leadership positions—including an at-large seat—on the AMA Advisory Committee on Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender (GLBT) Issues, with terms beginning in June.
Visit the Web site if you would like to be considered for the position or more information. Nominations are due Feb. 22.
5) Watch your mail for physician practice information survey
The AMA and more than 70 other organizations are conducting a comprehensive multi-specialty survey of America’s physician practices. The results will be used to positively influence national decision-makers to ensure accurate and fair representation for all physicians and patients, and to articulate the challenges of running a practice that provides expert patient care, while operating a business that is sustainable. Of particular importance is the section of the study pertaining to practice expenses and the amounts that are attributable to you. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has indicated it will use the results of this study to help determine physician payment. The survey firm, Dmrkynetec, will contact randomly selected physicians and practice managers to collect responses. Please encourage your staff to make this information available, as the survey’s success depends on accurate and complete data. All responses will remain confidential.
>>Return to your news interest contents
General AMA news
1) New AMA research paper shows medical liability reforms work
New research on medical liability reforms continues to show that caps on noneconomic damages are effective in lowering medical liability premiums and increasing the supply of physicians to care for patients.
The AMA paper, “The impact of liability pressure and caps on damages on the healthcare market: An update of recent literature,” concludes that caps on noneconomic damages are associated with lower premium levels of at least 17 percent, depending on the specialty, and that placing a quarter-million dollar cap on noneconomic damages in states that don’t have effective reforms could result in premium savings of $1.4 billion nationwide.
“Medical liability reforms do work,” said AMA Immediate Past President William G. Plested III, MD. “The fight for reforms is now largely in the states, and the AMA will continue to aggressively advocate so that no patient is prevented from being treated by a physician because of the broken liability system.”
Download (PDF, 78KB) the paper.
View the news release.
>>Return to your general news contents
2) Five additional BCBS plans agree to pay out $10 million; file claim form by Feb. 27
If you treated a Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS) patient at any time between May 22, 1999, and May 31, 2007, the AMA encourages you to collect your share of the $10 million Highmark Settlement Fund.
This latest settlement comes in addition to 22 BCBS plans that reached settlements earlier in the class action lawsuit brought by 90,000 physicians. Five of the settling BCBS plans in Pennsylvania, West Virginia and parts of Ohio—including Highmark Inc., Keystone Health Plan West Inc., Highmark West Virginia Inc. (also referred to as Mountain State Blue Cross Blue Shield), and Parker Benefits Inc. (also referred to as Super Blue Health Maintenance Organization)—have agreed to distribute approximately $10 million among eligible physicians who file a claim form by Feb. 27. Even if you have not treated an enrollee of one of these specific plans, you may still be eligible if you treated one or more enrollees of any BCBS plan that is a primary licensee (including an enrollee through a BCBS plan outside of your state or region).
If you think you may be eligible and have not yet received a notice in the mail, download the mailed notice, claim form and instructions that were mailed to physicians on Nov. 29, 2007. The completed claim form should be postmarked no later than Feb. 27 and sent to: Highmark/Mountain State, Settlement Administrator, P.O. Box 3775, Portland, OR 97208-3775.
Download the AMA flier, “7 easy steps to maximizing your recovery from the $10 million Highmark settlement fund.” Also, access an interactive settlement map that shows which BCBS plans and subsidiaries in your state have settled and which have not.
>>Return to your general news contents
3) Urge your U.S. senators to take action on Medicare payment
The upcoming President’s Day congressional recess (Feb. 15–25) presents a critical opportunity to speak personally with your U.S. senators about the urgency of meeting their self-imposed deadline of July 1 for preventing steep cuts in Medicare payments to physicians.
Current Medicare physician payment rates are scheduled to be cut 10.6 percent on July 1 and an additional 5 percent on Jan. 1, 2009. The widening gap between payment rates and the cost of care will make it extremely difficult for physicians to stay involved with the Medicare program, just as millions of baby boomers are about to become eligible for Medicare.
Your senators need to know:
- In an AMA survey of almost 9,000 physicians, more than half said they could not meet their current payroll with a 10 percent Medicare pay cut and would be forced to reduce their staff.
- Even more—60 percent—said they would have to limit the number of new Medicare patients they treat if the pay cuts are not stopped.
- The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission reports that 30 percent of Medicare patients looking for a new primary care physician already have trouble finding one.
- Two-thirds of physicians say the steep cuts will also prevent them from investing in health information technology that can be used to improve the quality of care.
Download (PDF, 425KB) the facts about Medicare physician payment.
Download (PDF, 440KB) a chart showing the widening gap between Medicare physician payment levels and the costs of practicing medicine.
View (PDF, 465KB) a map showing how the looming cuts will affect your state.
View (PDF, 454KB) results of the latest AMA Member Connect survey on this issue.
>>Return to your general news contents
4) Nominations sought for AMA Advisory Committee on GLBT Issues
The AMA is soliciting nominations for three positions on the AMA Advisory Committee on Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender (GLBT) Issues, with terms beginning in June. All nominations are due Feb. 22.
The seven-member advisory committee is composed of three at-large members and four members who represent the AMA Medical Student Section (AMA-MSS), AMA Resident and Fellow Section, AMA Young Physician Section, and Gay and Lesbian Medical Association (GLMA) respectively. Appointments will be made for the at-large, AMA-MSS and GLMA representatives.
If you are interested in being considered as a nominee, please visit the Web site for additional information and a nomination form. You or your respective organization should then send your completed form to the AMA by Feb. 22. For further information, contact Michael Kutnick by sending an e-mail or calling (312) 464–4335.
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5) On Sermo: Reconnecting with memorable patients, years later
A physician on Sermo who saved the life a newborn girl almost 21 years ago seeks advice from colleagues about whether it is appropriate to follow up with her.
“The difference between that girl being alive and fully functional vs. [versus] brain damaged vs. [versus] dead involved only minutes, if not seconds,” the physician commented, and later questioned, “Have you ever been intensely curious about the long-term outcome of an event like this?”
Physicians on Sermo are responding to this question, sharing similar experiences and voicing opinions about the proper protocol for contacting these patients years after treating them.
Join the discussion and share your experience.
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6) In JAMA: Smoking marijuana associated with increased risk for gum disease
Regular use of marijuana (cannabis) in young adulthood is associated with periodontal (gum) disease, according to a study in the Feb. 6 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). In an accompanying editorial, an author comments on the study’s findings regarding cannabis use and periodontal disease.
View the study.
Preview an editorial on this topic.
View a video news release about this study.
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